Halloween can be a time of intense anxiety for kids with sensory issues. I’m not even going to get into the pressures of eating candy, the lights, sounds, scary costumes, darkness….AHHHH!! It can be a lot for some adults too! But, let’s just talk costumes….because just this one thing can cause major meltdowns, tantrums, and anxieties for kids with sensory issues.
Costumes tend to be hot, itchy, and weird feeling. Wigs, masks, glasses, extra jewelry, tights, and puffy shirts can all be too much on a child’s skin and other senses.
One way I have solved this issue for several years now is getting pajamas that look like a costume. Most kids are very comfortable in PJ’s and they make PJ’s to look like costumes as it is…. so WIN-WIN!
For example, last year, we all went as the Incredibles. It was great because we can wear the PJ’s throughout the year for family movie nights or whatever. I also like the concept of PJ’s because the kids can wear them more than once.
Going trick or treating in PJ’s is also WAYYYY easier because it is much less cumbersome for kids to ring doorbells, collect candy, and just walk! I told the kids they didn’t have to wear their masks, but they practiced for a couple weeks before until they got used to them (they were adamant that the look “wasn’t complete” without the masks). The night of, they ended up only wearing them when approaching houses.
Here are some other ideas of PJ’s that look like costumes:
